Merle Travis was a significant personality and influential country music stylist as a singer, songwriter, and notably as a guitarist, to the extent that he had an instrumental technique named after him, called "Travis picking", which many musicians who came after him sought to emulate, not least among them Chet Atkins. His music was rooted in his home state of Kentucky, with the lives of its inhabitants, most notably the mining community, providing him with a rich source of material for his songs - hits like "Sixteen Tons" and "Dark As The Dungeon" reflected those origins, providing hits for other artists as well as himself. He recorded a few sessions for different labels before he began recording for Capitol in 1946, and was with the company until the end of the 1960s. This excellent-value 84-track 3-CD set comprises a significant proportion of his A and B sides for Capitol during the initial decade or so of his time with the label, which represents the core of his career as a chart artist, during which time he had all but one of his country chart entries, and all of his Top 20 hits. The recordings cover the gamut of country styles, showcasing his talents as singer, writer and guitarist, and the set naturally includes his No. 1s "Divorce Me C.O.D." and "So Round, So Firm, So Fully-Packed" , plus his other Top 5 hits "Cincinnati Lou", "No Vacancy", "Fat Gal", "Missouri", "Steel Guitar Rag", "Three Times Seven" and "Merle's Boogie Woogie". It's a substantial showcase for one of modern country music's true pioneers.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- No Vacancy (GBSUW1943567)
- Cincinnati Lou (GBSUW1943568)
- Missouri (GBSUW1943569)
- Divorce Me C.O.D (GBSUW1410176)
- Sweet Temptation (GBSUW1943570)
- So Round, So Firm, So Fulled Packed (GBSUW1943571)
- Three Times Seven (GBSUW1943572)
- Steel Guitar Rag (GBSUW1943573)
- Spoonin' Moon (GBSUW1943574)
- Too Much Sugar (GBSUW1943575)
- I'm Sick And Tired Of You, Little Darling (GBSUW1943576)
- Lawdy, What A Gal (GBSUW1943577)
- John Henry (GBSUW1943578)
- Nine Pound Hammer (GBSUW1943579)
- Dark As A Dungeon (GBSUW1943580)
- Sixteen Tons (GBSUW1943581)
- Over By Number Nine (GBSUW1943582)
- That’s All (GBSUW1943583)
- Muskrat (GBSUW1943584)
- I Am A Pilgrim (GBSUW1943585)
- Sioux City Sue (GBSUW1943586)
- Fat Gal
- Merle's Boogie Woogie (GBSUW1943588)
- I Like My Chicken Fryin' Size (GBSUW1943589)
- Follow Thru (GBSUW1943590)
- Information Please (GBSUW1943591)
Disc 2:
- The Devil To Pay (GBSUW1943592)
- Kentucky Means Paradise (GBSUW1943593)
- When My Baby Double Talks To Me (GBSUW1943594)
- A Fool At The Steering Wheel (GBSUW1943595)
- Alimony Bound (GBSUW1943596)
- I’m A Natural Born Gamblin’ Man (GBSUW1943597)
- Crazy Boogie (GBSUW1943598)
- T For Texas (GBSUW1943599)
- Leave My Honey Bee Alone (GBSUW1943600)
- What A Shame (GBSUW1943601)
- Dapper Dan (GBSUW1943602)
- Get Along Blues (GBSUW1943603)
- Walkin' The Strings (GBSUW1943604)
- Fuller Blues (GBSUW1943605)
- Blue Smoke (GBSUW1943606)
- God Put A Rainbow In The Clouds (GBSUW1943607)
- It May Be Too Late (GBSUW1943608)
- Blues Stay Away From Me (GBSUW1514665)
- Philosophy (GBSUW1943609)
- I'm Pickin' Up The Pieces Of My Heart (GBSUW1943610)
- Petticoat Fever (GBSUW1943611)
- Start Even (GBSUW1943612)
- Cane Bottom Chair (GBSUW1943613)
- Guitar Rag (GBSUW1943614)
- El Reno (GBSUW1943615)
- Trouble, Trouble (GBSUW1943616)
- Wont'cha Be My Baby (GBSUW1943617)
- Dry Bread (GBSUW1932390)
- Boogie In Minor (GBSUW1943618)
Disc 3:
- Deep South (GBSUW1943619)
- Let's Settle Down (GBSUW1943620)
- Lost John Boogie (GBSUW1943621)
- Done Rovin' (GBSUW1943622)
- Faithful Fool (GBSUW1943623)
- Kinfolks In Carolina (GBSUW1943624)
- A Rainy Day Feeling (GBSUW1943625)
- Too Fast Past (GBSUW1943626)
- Ain't That A Cryin' Shame' (GBSUW1943627)
- Cannon Ball Rag (GBSUW1943628)
- I'll See You In My Dreams (GBSUW1943629)
- Bayou Baby (GBSUW1943630)
- Knee Deep In Trouble (GBSUW1943631)
- I'll Have Myself A Ball (GBSUW1943632)
- Green Cheese (GBSUW1943633)
- Shut Up And Drink Your Beer (GBSUW1943634)
- Gambler's Guitar (GBSUW0701946)
- Re-Enlistment Blues (GBSUW1943635)
- Dance Of The Golden Rod (GBSUW1943636)
- Jolie Fille (GBSUW1943637)
- I Can't Afford The Coffee (GBSUW1943638)
- Love Must Be Ketchin' (GBSUW1943639)
- Louisiana Boogie (GBSUW1943640)
- Cuddle Up A Little Closer, Lovey Mine (GBSUW1943641)
- Beer Barrel Polka (GBSUW1943642)
- If You Want It, I’ve Got It (GBSUW1943643)
- Hunky Dory (GBSUW1943644)
- Turn My Picture Upside Down (GBSUW1943645)
- Lazy River (GBSUW1943646)
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